THE PLACE NO ONE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT
It’s been two years since my last blog. Writing books, editing them, and working out the kinks in page designs and covers have kept me from blogging. Amazingly enough, it took someone else’s book to spark the need to do so now.
A friend told me about a book she had read and wanted me to read. So, I downloaded it onto my kindle, never really thinking I would find the time to read it. As chance would have it, I had a couple of days before the all–consuming edits began for Silence Shattered, the third book in my Open Your Eyes series. These few days of reading turned out to be quite thought-provoking.
The title alone had my interest piqued: 23 Minutes in Hell. I don’t know if you’ve read any of Ted Dekker’s books, but Bill Wiese, the author, described hell’s terrible creatures very similar to those described in Ted Dekker’s, The Circle Series, Black, Red, and White. (After reading The Circle Series, I couldn’t close my eyes without seeing those glowing, red, beady eyes of the monsters from the books.) Just to clarify here, I don’t believe Mr. Wiese took anything from Ted Dekker’s material. Both men, however, did an excellent job of describing hell’s terrifying creatures, and I am grateful it was Mr. Wiese who experienced the twenty–three minutes and not me. I’ll admit it, I’m a wimp.
Halfway through 23 Minutes in Hell, I felt compelled to write about what I had already learned. If you were to ask whether I believe Mr. Wiese actually went to hell for twenty–three minutes, I’d have to say that really isn’t important. What’s more crucial is a truth that Mr. Wiese pointed out, which is: no one wants to talk about hell. Why is that?
Christians love to share God’s tender side with nonbelievers, like his love, righteousness, mercy, grace, and his forgiveness. All qualities of our heavenly Father we should definitely disclose. But what about the part, “Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” Exodus 34:14 (NIV). Or “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28 (NLT) Quoting either of these to someone changes the tone of the message just a smidgen.
The most important Scripture, and the one every believer memorizes, is John 3:16 (NIV), “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Why does this scripture stand out above all others? Because it proves the profound love God has for us. He knew we didn’t have the means to reach Him because of our sinful nature. Jesus bridged the gap for us by paying the price for our sins with His blood, that if we believe in Him, we’ll have everlasting life. That’s great news! However, what does the ‘not perish’ part of the scripture mean? What is it that awaits us if we don’t accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior?
In 23 Minutes in Hell, Mr. Wiese explains what it is that awaits those who choose not to believe. He speaks a truth that no one wants to talk about—hell. I, myself, am not perfect by any means of the word, but I do love Jesus and believe He is the Messiah, the Anointed One. It’s not my job to judge, criticize, or point fingers at anyone. However, if I’m being a good steward of my faith, I’m supposed to share the Gospel with others. It’s the reason I became a Christian Fiction Author. In my works, I’m able to sprinkle the gospel throughout the storyline. It’s my way of telling people about Jesus. But thinking back on the books I’ve written, I really only share the tender side of Jesus and His abundant love. A love that ultimately led Him to the cross to die for us.
Why would He agree to be beaten, mocked, and crucified for our sins? To bridge the gap between us and God? These questions are answered in John 3:16—so we would never have to experience eternity without Him. Which begs the question: What would eternity be like without Jesus? Mr. Wiese does a great job explaining that in his book—incredibly hot, endless thirst, unimaginable pain, and infinite fear.
The Bible is full of wonderful scriptures revealing God’s love for us, as well as His unending mercy, grace, and forgiveness. Everything we will experience in His presence. I realized after only reading half of 23 Minutes in Hell, God doesn’t hide the part about what eternity will be like without him. One thing Bill Wiese said that opened my eyes (no pun intended) was, I don’t need to convince you hell is real, I just need to tell you that hell is a physical place; as real as touching a doorknob in your home. One of the many comparisons mentioned in the Bible of heaven and hell is found in Matthew 13:42–43 (CSB), “They will throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let anyone who has ears listen.” What you do with this information is between you and God.
With that said, I would not be doing my due diligence if I ended it here. The fact of the matter is, that tiny part of John 3:16—not perish—is extremely important and everyone needs to understand, God never intended for any of us to go to hell. That place is reserved for “…the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great day.” Jude 1:6 (NIV). In Daniel 12:1–2 (NIV) says, “…There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.”
Now we know the where, but what about our eternal experience? 2 Thessalonians 1:9 (NIV) says, “They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” Being ‘shut out from the presence of the Lord’ should scare everyone. I know it does me. Revelation 21:8 (NLT) states, “But the cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murders, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all the liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.” Sulfur is highly flammable and combustible, and it produces a poisonous gas. Exposure to it can cause all kinds of problems for a person. And here I thought the fire was bad.
Eternity without God would be like holding a hand over a large fire and leaving it there for as long as possible. The heat felt would only be a teeny, tiny fraction of hell’s temperature. The heat’s intensity will be a quadrillion times worse in the ‘fiery lake.’ Stoking my fire last night, I realized I couldn’t handle the heat and had to step away from the fireplace. That’s when it dawned on me that it wouldn’t be possible to move away from the scorching temperatures in hell.
But the gift of God is not something he offers and then quickly takes away. Why is that? If I gave something to my kids and they turn their noses up at it, my knee–jerk reaction is to take it away immediately. Praise the LORD, God isn’t like that! Eternal life is still in His hand being offered to all of us. We only need to take it. 2 Peter 3:9–10 (NIV) says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.”
The LORD is good; He created us in His image. He gave His only Son so that we would always have a way to reach Him. That path to eternal peace is for all who repent and accept His gracious gift of salvation. God loves us so much. He has given us all a choice to live in eternity with or without Him. I believe He is a gracious God, who doesn’t want to force anyone to spend eternity with Him in heaven if they choose not to. He is a patient and loving God who is waiting for us with open arms to join Him. My prayer is that you hear Him and welcome Him into your hearts.
God bless,
Larissa